Shades Of Purple
by Emerald Rose
Summary: Parvati and Lavender are best friends. They have always been best friends. But what happens when Parvati starts to feel more then friendship? F/F SLASH. The third and final part, Lavender, is up!
1. Lilac

A/n: Hi

A/n: Hi! I have officially fallen in love with slash. This story is going to be chaptered. I'm not too sure what's going to happen next, so it might take a while for the next chapter to come out.

Dismlaimer: Do I really have to do this? Fine, I don't own them. Ya happy?!

Warning: F/F SLASH! This means homosexuality! Leave if you don't like it.

**************

Shades of Purple

Chapter One: Lilac

**************

Parvati looked over at Lavender from across the room. The fair haired girl was quietly brushing her hair, the wrist moving in strong, slow movements. Lavender's gold hair shined in the sunlight that was coming in through the open window.

"God, I wish I had your hair," Parvati said enviously. She had always cursed her hair, dark and thin.

Lavender smiled. "No you don't. It's a pain to brush, 'cause it's so thick. And it always in my face so I have to spend twenty minutes each morning braiding it." She started to braid it as she said it. "It's annoying."

Parvati got up from her bed, where she was lounging, and sat down next to Lavender in front of the table. They had claimed this table as their own in their first year. They now used it to store their array of make up and hair supplies, which they had much of. The scattered array of junk had earned them many disapproving looks from Hermione, who always kept her possessions in perfect order, but it suited the two other girls just fine. 

"Let me," Parvati said, and Lavender immediately dropped her hands from her hair. Parvati started where she had left off, slowly plaiting the hair. 

Parvati ran her fingers through the golden tresses that she had often found herself staring at with fascination that she could not shake. The strands felt cool and smooth in her hands, still slightly damp from the shower Lavender had taken earlier that morning. Her hair smelt slightly of lavender. Parvati laughed under her breath. _Lavender uses lavender sented shampoo. Heh._

"I don't know why I don't just cut it." Lavender said exasperatedly. 

Parvati nearly tied a knot in her friend's hair."Don't you dare," She said with feeling. "You have beautiful hair. If you even cut a centimeter off I swear that I'll…" _think you look wonderful, even with different hair. And I'd probably run up to you and kiss you softly on the lips, my hands tangling in the new short cut you got and I'd--_

Parvati quickly noticed the direction her thoughts were taking, and shook her head lightly, as if trying to rid it of those thoughts. 

Lavender turned her head slightly, trying to face her friend without spoiling the braid. "You'd do what?" she asked, a small smile playing at her lips. 

_Does she know how beautiful she looks when she's like that?_ Parvati wondered in awe. _Of course she does. How could she *not* know?_

She smiled at her friend. "I'd rip out the hair you'd have left and we'd get into a cat fight." _Which would hopefully end with you on top of me._

"Rrow!" Lavender mock-growled. 

Paravti reached the end of Lavender's braid and quickly locked it in place with a green scrunchie she found under the array of junk on the table. "There." She said. "You're braided."

Lavender reached a hand back to feel the braid. Her hand lightly brushed Parvati's, whose hand was still resting at the base of the braid. Lavender's hand rested there for a second, before drawing back. "Thanks, Par," she said, smiling once again.

"No problem." Parvati said, captivated by the way that Lavender's lips curved up when she smiled, like a scarlet rainbow stretching across the milk white sky of her skin.

"…breakfast?" Parvati was shaken out of her trance when she realized that Lavender had asked her something.

"Er… yes?" She tried. 

"Good, I'm starving!" Lavender leapt up from her seat and headed for the door. 

_I guess she asked me if I wanted to go down to breakfast._ Parvati thought as she followed her friend through the door.

**************

"What do you think?" asked Ginny eagerly.

Hermione rolled her eyes at her girlfriend, who was sitting next to her at a table in the Common Room. "I think -- no, I *know* -- that I'm not going to get mixed up in your match-making." 

Ginny made a whining sound. "Oh, c'mon Herm! They'd make such a cute couple!"

"Parvati and Lavender?" Hermione asked doubtfully, while raising an eyebrow. "I don't think Lavender is even gay."

"Why do you say that?" inquired Ginny.

"Well, for one," Hermione said, getting into her 'I'm So Right' tone. "She went to the Yule Ball with Seamus."

"So? I went to the Ball with Neville and you went with Krum." Ginny pointed out.

If Hermione had heard this, she chose to ignore this piece of information. "Plus, she's totally boy crazy! She's always dribbling over guys." She said in her 'ha, beat that,' voice. 

Ginny rolled her eyes. "That could mean anything! She could be bi," she pointed out. "Or she could be hiding behind the boy-craziness."

Hermione, uninterested as she was, was still intrigued by a new concept. "What do you mean?"

"Well," said Ginny, "I'd had a crush on you since third year. But I was kinda uncomfortable with the fact that I prefer girls. So I hid behind my past crush for Harry, and convinced myself that I couldn't love you, because I loved Harry." Ginny started to blush a bit, which Hermione found quite adorable. "So Lavender's boy-craziness might be a way of hiding her feelings for Parvati."

Hermione bit her bottom lip in concentration, which she sometimes did while trying to figure out an Arithmancy problem. "You may be right… but I'm still not helping you."

Ginny yelped in annoyance. "No fair!"

**************

Parvati looked up from Lavender's palm to stare into her friend's eyes. "You're in luck," she said.

The two girls were sitting at their usual table in Divination, where the class was moving on to advanced palmistry. Parvati had always loved everything about Divination, including the melodramatic teacher. There was something about being able to *know* what was going to happen to you… it enchanted Parvati. And Lavender felt the same.

"Why?" whispered Lavender.

Parvati squinted at the palm in her hand. "There's romance in you future."

"Yes!" Lavender squealed. "Any details?" she asked eagerly.

"Well," said Parvati, tracing her index finger across her friend's palm. "It's someone close to you… a friend."

Lavender's eyes sparkled. "So… someone in Gryffindor, probably, right?"

Parvati shrugged. "I'm guessing." She let go of Lavender's palm.

"This is so cool!" she exulted. "Who do you think it is?"

Parvati shrugged again. _C'mon, _She thought, _figure it out…_

Lavender leaned back in her chair. "Well, the guys in Gryffindor are Dean, Seamus, Ron, Harry, and Neville. Ron and Harry are always in their own little world, so no. Neville…um… I don't even want to *think* about that option."

"Oh, Lavender, that's mean!" Parvati exclaimed. 

"It's true!" Lavender defended herself. "So it's either Dean or Seamus…." She trailed off, apparently lost in thought.

Parvati tried to hide her annoyance at her friend. _No, no it's *not* Dean or Seamus. Try for the *other* end of the spectrum. Hello? How can you be so smart in some things, but so dense in others?_ Parvati tried to give her another hint.

"Let me see your palm again," she said, and Lavender handed it right over. "Hmm… no it's *definitely* not Dean or Seamus." She said. 

"Really?" said Lavender, confused. "So he's not in our year?"

Parvati sighed heavily. "No… this person is in our year…" Parvati paused, trying to think of a way to put her thoughts into words. "This person is a bit… different."

Lavender narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out who it could be. Then, her eyes grew comically wide, and she nearly fell out of her chair. "Are you talking about Hermione?!"

Now it was Parvati's turn to be shocked. "No! Not her! She's… just no!" _How did she get **Hermione**?_

Then, a bell rang in the distance, signaling the end of class, (Is it a bell that let's them out of class? I have no clue.) and the Gryffindors filed out of the stuffy room. 

Parvati smiled to herself. _I guess I'll just have to stop with the subtle approach._

_ _

***************

End of Lilac

Chapter Two: Violet, coming soon

***************

A/n: Oh, um… I give credit to my friend Nikki, aka Ides of Diamonds, for coming up with the ending and ideas for future chapters. There, ya happy you evil bunny?!


	2. Violet

***************

A/n: Yay, next chapter! I realize that I've been neglecting the story I *should* be working on, TGGTH, terribly. But this evil bunny has started to bounce around in my brain and is chewing on my mind like cabbage. It keeps waking me up in the middle of the night with ideas for this series! I'm trying to get it to take up residence in another brain, but it seems to like it here with me. Hey, does anyone know a good name for an evil bunny? If it's going to be living in my brain, I should name it. Why don't you leave a name suggestion in your review?

Warning: If you didn't figure it out from the first chapter, this is SLASH! Homosexuality, gayness, dykes, whatever you want to call it! If you don't like it, stay away!

Disclaimer: I hate this part. I really do. I…. I don't…. Arrgh, I can't say it! …Idon'townthem! There! Now don't expect me to say it again!

Thanks: Many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many thanks go out to Nikki (aka Ides of Diamonds) who helped sososo much with this fic. She even wrote the poem which appears toward the end of the chapter. Thank you so much Nikki!

*************** 

Chapter Two: Violet

****************

"Hold on

Hold on to yourself

for this is gonna hurt like hell

Hold on

Hold on to yourself

you know that only time will tell

What is it in me that refuses to believe

this isn't easier than the real thing

My love

you know that you're my best friend

you know I'd do anything for you

my love

let nothing come between us

my love for you is strong and true"

-- "Hold On" Sarah McLachlan

***************

_Just a look from your eyes/sparkling blue on mine/ shakes me to the core_

"Quote the raven: never more?" Parvati sighed. "Yeah, that's good if you want to kill her and bury her under the floorboards. You're supposed to be expressing your love, not freaking her out." She said to herself. 

Parvati sighed again. This wasn't turning out right at all. In her fantasy, she had written a poem, a beautiful piece of literature, in which she would pour her heart into. It would convey exactly how she felt whenever Lavender smiled at her, touched her hand, unveiled her future in Divination. 

Parvati would watch silently as her love read the poem. When Lavender would finish, she would run her hands over the parchment, on which sprawled Parvati's scrawling calligraphy spread like vines on a trellis. Then Lavender's eyes would connect with Parvati's, and she would realize that she loved Parvati, that she always had. She would fling herself at Parvati, sending them both to the ground. 

Parvati's body would be trapped beneath Lavender's, her brown eyes looking up into sparkling sapphires. Lavender would then lean forward and brush her lips against Parvati's, their flesh connecting in the lightest of kisses. 

_And I can't even get the poem part down._ The rational part of Parvati thought, bringing her fantasy crashing back to earth with a whistle so loud, she was sure they could hear it in the Slytherin dungeons. "If I can't even get that done, the rest isn't very bloody likely to happen."

Parvati turned over and buried her face in her pillow. "There should be some kind of… I don't know, *punishment* for falling in love with your best friend." She mused out loud. Then thoughts of Lavender punishing her came to mind, so she immediately had to drop that subject. "Jeez, you have a kinky side to you, don't cha?" she said to herself.

"Now I'm talking to myself. Isn't that one of the signs of insanity?" Parvati said, bringing her hands up to rub her temples. She was getting a steadily increasing headache. "No, you're only insane if you answer yourself." Parvati's eyes went wide, realizing that she *did* just answer herself. "Oh, boy am I screwed." 

Parvati grabbed a fresh piece of parchment and a quill. "Just… just write the poem, Patil."

*************

_How did I let myself be dragged into this?_ Hermione wondered wearily, as she let Ginny drag her into the fifth year girls dormitory. 

Inside, Parvati was cross-legged sitting on her bed, writing furiously on a piece of parchment. _Probably Divination homework. _Hermione thought scornfully. 

Ginny dropped her girlfriend's hand and marched up to Parvati and placed her hands on her hips. "Do you love Lavender?" she asked.

Parvati nearly jumped a foot in the air. She looked around frantically, while hastily shoving the piece of parchment under her pillow.

Parvati wasn't the only one who was surprised. Hermione's eyes went wide at Ginny's bluntness. _How can she be so frank? _She wondered in awe. Then, _and why do I love every bit of it?_

Parvati finally found words. Sort of. "W-what…huh?" she looked around a bit, at a loss. 

"Do you?" Ginny asked again, hands still on her hips in an intimidating manner. 

Hermione was amused at the show of emotions that were fluttering through Parvati's face. First confusion, then dismay, and last, submission. "Is it that obvious?" she asked, evidently upset. 

"Yeah, it was," said Ginny, now with some pity showing on her face. _It was? _Thought Hermione. _I didn't see it._

"So what are you going to do?" asked Ginny.

Parvati looked up at Ginny, confused. "What do you mean?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "How are you going to *tell* her?" she said, as though it was obvious. 

"Well," said Parvati slowly. "I've been dropping a lot of hints in Divination—"

Hermione snorted. "Well, I can see why she hasn't caught on yet." Ginny slapped her lightly on the arm.

"Stop being so supercilious." She said. 

"I am not being supercilious!" Hermione said in defense. 

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Yes you are, you know you are!"

Parvati's eyes were darting in between the two girls, wondering what they were talking about. "Um… what does supercilious mean?"

Hermione smiled tolerantly at the other girl. "Supercilious. Full of contempt and arrogance. Supercilious. Which I am *not* being." She added, shooting a Death Glare at Ginny, who responded only by rolling her eyes once more.

"Anyway," Ginny said, her attention turning back to Parvati. "There's a Hogsmead weekend coming up," she said with an evil grin. 

***************

Parvati shifted uncomfortably in her scarlet dress. The velvet gown swished around her ankles. In one hand she clutched a piece of parchment, and in the other a flower of a lavender plant.

Parvati had gone to one of the greenhouses used for Herbology earlier that day and found the plant. She had been surprised and delighted to find that Professor Sprout sowed more than plants of the magical variety. 

_I swear, if this doesn't work, I'll kill Ginny. _She vowed to herself.

Parvati tugged up the neckline of her dress self-consciously. She never imagined she would be standing where she was.

She was at a restaurant known as the Hogsmead Herb Garden. Parvati could understand the "garden" part. Surrounding the place was grounds full of plants of every variety. Not just herbs. That was the part that Parvati didn't understand. She had often heard of the garden from older girls who had gone to the Herb Garden with their boyfriends to…um, talk. 

Paths twisted through the gardens, none of them leading to a specific place. At night they were threaded with fairy lights, leading the way for traveling couples. They were enchanted to bring the adventurers who were wandering in them back to the restaurant if they were there for over three hours. It was rumor that there was one path, when found, would take you to a clearing full of magical flowers and plants, which was supposedly planted by two lovers who were on the run from Voldemort's army. Of course no one had ever seen it yet.

A waitress came over and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Excuse me, miss? Would you like to sit down?"

Parvati looked over at the table, elegantly set for two, a candle in the center of the table giving off a romantic lighting. "Um… yeah. Sure." She plopped down in her seat, not inelegantly, and took a sip from a glass of water, which was sitting in front of her. 

"Let me guess. Big date?" asked the waitress. Parvati turned her head to look at the waitress. She looked about forty-five, fifty. She was dressed in plain black robes, the uniform at the Herb Garden. She had light brown hair, graying slightly at the edges and cropped short. She wore oval glasses, which actually looked fairly good on her.

Parvati smiled. "You could say that."

"My name is Nikki." Said the waitress. "I guess I'll be your waitress. Who's the lucky guy?"

Parvati barely suppressed a smile. "He's… a friend. He doesn't really know that this is a date. I'm going to tell her—I mean, him, that I like him as more than a friend tonight."

"Well, good luck." Said Nikki. "If there's one thing I've learned in my life, it's to *think* before you tell someone you have a crush on them." Nikki got a wistful expression on her face, as if remembering something from a long time ago.

"What do you mean?" asked Parvati, curious.

"Oh, a whole mess of things can happen." Nikki sighed. "Entire friendships can be ruined…" Nikki then smiled a bitterly. "So…can I get you anything to drink?"

****************

A half hour later, Lavender was late, Parvati had drunk ten Butterbeers, and she wasn't exactly feeling sure of herself from talking with Nikki. 

_Entire friendships can be ruined… _Nikki's words echoed in Parvati's brain, and she desperately hoped she was doing the right thing.

"Where is she?" wondered Parvati out loud. The note that she left Lavender had told her to meet her at nine o'clock. It was now half past nine.

_What if she didn't see the note?_ Parvati thought frantically. _What if she did see it, but isn't coming? What if—_

"Hey," said a soft voice besides her. Parvati's head turned instinctively towards the sound, and she found herself drowning in a sea of blue. Lavender was looking beautiful, as usual, in a dress of pale purple. It ended right above her knee. Pastel colors always suited Lavender, and brought out her eyes. 

"Hi, where were you?" Parvati asked, smiling warmly at her friend.

"Seamus and I took a walk around." Lavender said, a sappy smile on her face.

Parvati's heart jolted. Her smile faded slightly. "So, are you and him…." She let her sentence trail out. 

"What? Oh, no!" said Lavender, shaking her head and wrinkling her nose in an adorable gesture. "He's a nice guy and everything, but…no."

Parvati felt her smile return with a vengeance. "Really??" she was aware that she was grinning like an idiot, and forced herself to calm down. "Well, I'm glad you came."

Lavender looked around the restaurant. "This place is so cool! Did you see those gardens?" she leaned forward excitedly.

"Wanna go for a walk in them later?" Parvati asked.

"Sure!" Lavender agreed. "But first let's eat. I'm starved!"

**************

"Oh my god, Parvati, it so hilarious!" Lavender swallowed another piece of pie, then waved her fork around for no apparent reason then because she wanted to. "Me and Dean are studying in the library, and all of a sudden…boom! There's Seamus! The books and papers went *everywhere*" Lavender giggled, remembering the incident and Parvati laughed along with her. "I swear, Madam Pince was going to kill us."

"She probably wanted to," laughed Lavender, thinking of the strict librarian. She looked down at the last crumbs of her raspberry pie. Lavender still had a few bites left. _Now or never._ She thought to herself. "Um…Lavender?" she said, not looking up from her plate.

"Hmmm?" answered Lavender.

"Parvati took her napkin in her hands, and started twisting it around. "There's something I wanted to tell you…but I'm not too sure how too." Parvati finally dared to look up into her friend's eyes.

The pools of blue gazed at her fondly. "Just say it. You know you can tell me anything."

"Well…" started Parvati, pausing and searching for the right words. "I wrote it down. So…" she pulled out the piece of parchment, now crinkled and slightly ripped in one corner. "Here." She held out the parchment to Lavender, who gently took it.

Parvati once again turned her face down into her plate, unable to watch the emotions that were surely racing across her friend's face. A hundred thoughts were running through her brain, but the strongest voice was the one reciting the poem that Lavender was reading now.

_ _

_Shades of Purple_

_Lilac, violet, mauve, and plum,_

_All are shades of purple._

_Amethyst, indigo, wine, and maroon,_

_All are shades of purple._

_But Lavender glory, can't be beaten._

_Her beauty can't be matched._

_My own best friend,_

_Sweet Lavender girl,_

_Indeed, stole my heart._

_But I can't get the nerve,_

_I don't have the guts,_

_To tell her the golden truth._

_My heart's keeper,_

_My beautiful Lavender,_

_Is the one who lights up the dark._

_It's you, my friend,_

_Who's sealed my heart,_

_Where it shall not roam. _

_It's you, Lavender,_

_Who makes me go crimson,_

_With your velvety touch._

_Amethyst, lilac, plum, and wine,_

_All are shades of purple._

_There are so many,_

_Yet none come close,_

_To sweet dear Lavender,___

_My own true love._

_ _

__After a small amount of time, Parvati couldn't stand not knowing anymore. She tentatively looked up at Lavender.

The beautiful girl was sitting there, an unreadable expression on her face. Parvati's heart immediately sank. 

Parvati was torn. One half of her wanted to run out of the Herb Garden, and the other half wanted to take Lavender, who was currently looking quite lost. She didn't know what to do, so she just stood still.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of tension, Lavender seemed to snap out of her trance. "Um…. I… I have to go to the bathroom," she mumbled, and ran off towards the bathroom.

Parvati banged her head down on the table.

*************

"Hey little girl would you like some candy

your momma said that it's OK

The door is open come on outside

no I can't come out today

it's not the wind that cracked your shoulder

and threw you to the ground

who's there that makes you so afraid

you're shaken to the bone

and I don't understand

you deserve so much more than this"

-- "Good Enough" Sarah McLachlan

************

End of Violet

Final Chapter: Lavender, coming soon.

************

A/n: What will happen next? What was Lavender's reaction all about? Will Parvati and Lavender end up together? If so, will I write a mushy kissy scene? Find out in the conclusion of Shades of Purple: Lavender! Oh, and don't forget to leave a name for the evil bunny in your review. I don't know why, but I've become quite attached to her. Yes, it's a female, I've decided. Because it makes me write f/f slash.


	3. Lavender

Ten minutes after Lavender left:

A/n: Here it is! The final Chapter of Shades of Purple: Lavender! I'm sososo sorry that it took to long. Real Life interrupted and filled my days with school and friends. But I've finally got my act together and worked on what's really important: Harry Potter fanfiction.

Aaaaaand! I've decided on a name for the evil bunny that has chewed my brain to nothingness. Ophelia. It was suggested by Luminescent Pearl and I really liked it. Thank you, Luminescent Pearl! :: pats Ophelia on the head::

Warning: In case you have not noticed from the last two chapters, this story is F/F SLASH!

Disclaimer: I don't own them. My evil bunny doesn't own them. But the Goddess J.K. Rowling does. 

Thanks: Once again, many thanks go to my friend Nikki (aka Ides of Diamonds) who has been a constant inspiration and source of help throughout this series.

**********

Shades of Purple, Chapter Three: Lavender

**********

"Caught a light sneeze caught a light breeze

Caught a lightweight lightning seed

Boys on my left side

Boys on my right side

Boys in the middle

And you're not here

I need a big loan from the girl zone

Building tumbling down

Didn't know our love was so small

Couldn't stand at all

Mr. St. John just bring your son"

Caught A Light Sneeze – Tori Amos

**********

Ten minutes after Lavender left:

Parvati rung her cloth napkin in her hands. She took another sip of Butterbeer and arched her neck to see over the head of a particularly tall woman. No sign of Lavender.

Ten minutes later:

Parvati lifted up her glass to take yet another sip of Butterbeer, only to find that the glass was empty.

"Miss, would you like another drink?" Parvati looked to the left and saw Nikki.

"Um… yes please." She answered. Nikki whisked away her glass.Parvati picked up the napkin again and started to ring it in her hands again. It had a small rip in it.

A half hour later:

The napkin lay in tatters on the table in front of Parvati. Seven empty glasses that once contained Butterbeer were lined up next to the tatters of the napkin. Parvati knew that Butterbeer wasn't that strong…but she had had seven of them, and she was half way done with her eighth, and her vision was kind of blurry. _Heh. Blurry. That's a funny word. Blurrrrrrrry._

Parvati's head slumped into her hand. Through her blurry vision, she could make out a figure coming up to her. Her head snapped up and she struggled to focus, to make out who was there.

Instead of seeing the beautiful blue eyes of Lavender, she saw the dark green ones of Nikki, her waitress.

"You told him, didn't you," Nikki smiled sadly, sitting down. 

Parvati nodded, half-wishing Nikki would leave, half-wishing she would stay, "Guess you were right...I shouldn't have told her at all...our friendship is gone..."

Nikki blinked. "_Her? _Wha…_OH!"_ She gasped, finally putting two and two together. "Well…um…Why did you want to tell her?" asked the waitress.

"She...seemed like she would understand." tears were pouring down from Parvati's eyes.

"What made you think so?"

"She was so kind...we're...we _were_ best friends. She told me once that I could say anything to her and she would understand."

"Maybe she really meant that; you just have to give her some time to get used to it."

"What if she never does?"

"Then that was the way things were supposed to be. I'd go find her and talk to her if I were you."

Parvati squeezed her eyes shut, trying to shut out the pounding in her head. She drained her mug of Butterbeer and stood.

"I didn't mean right now!" Nikki said, alarmed. "You're...well, drunk!"

"I'll be fine," Parvati slurred, making her way to the door. "Thanks for everything."

"Well...," Nikki touched her shoulder. "Be careful. And, for what it's worth, I saw your friend run in the opposite direction of Hogwarts."

Parvati nodded, thanking the woman again, and walking out of the restaurant.

*************

Parvati stumbled around, not too sure of where she was going. It was very dark, and she was in an unfamiliar territory. She blundered like that for what seemed like hours, until her outstretched hands hit something solid. A wall.

She walked on, this time with her hands running along the wall. It was a small comfort. Something made by man-- this meant that people were around. Right? Parvati couldn't digest one thought in her intoxicated mind, so she just kept walking.

Then, she was no longer standing. Her foot got caught, and before she knew what was happening, her face hit the ground. Parvati cried out in pain. Her left cheek stinged. She brought her hand up and brushed it over the bruised place gingerly. It came away wet and crimson with blood.

Parvati reached up to the wall again, and pulled herself up. But right when she put all her weight on her legs, she fell right back down. Her right leg ached severely. It sent jolts of pain throughout her body, like electricity through a wire.

Parvati started to sob silently. _This isn't fair_. She thought miserably. She tried to look up again, but all she could see was black and small bits of a pale purple. She reached up slowly and grabbed a bit of the purple. She brought it close to her face; near enough so it was out of the unfocused haze of her vision. It was… a flower. A Lavender flower. Small and pretty and perfect.

Images of her best friend invaded Parvati's mind. Her best friend Lavender. The wonderful Lavender, the girl named after the color and flower. The girl with hair like rays of sunshine and eyes like the ocean. The girl who made her happy so easily. The girl who so effortlessly attracted Parvati to her. The girl who made her heart jump each time she looked at her and smiled, touched her hand, whispered to her during class. The girl who Parvati loved.

They had danced once. At the Yule Ball, when Lavender needed a break from Seamus' constant attentions and Parvati needed a break from Harry's evident uninterest. It had drawn stares from everyone around them, the two girls dancing together. Lavender had just given her a look that said, "Fuck 'em," and pulled Parvati closer. Parvati and Lavender had swayed to the music, the haunting melody of a Weird Sister's song called Fall.

Appropriate, Parvati had thought. Because when she danced with her friend, when she had looked into those pools of blue, she fell. Hard. She had fallen for Lavender, the girl who had been her friend ever since her first day at Hogwarts. The girl who had been there for her through everything. The girl who was the reason she was where she was

now. It was Lavender's fault that Parvati was half-drunk and lying on the ground crying. And Parvati wanted to hate her for it. She wanted to be seething with rage at the girl who had run away and left her all alone at a place she barely knew. She wanted to hate her. But she didn't. She didn't hate Lavender, she loved her. She loved the other girl with so much passion that it hurt to think of a life without her.

Parvati wanted to hate Lavender, but she loved her too much. And she…she had to find out, if Lavender loved her back. As much as she wanted to lie on the ground and cry until someone found her, she knew that she had to go back. Because if there was any chance, and slight possibility, that Lavender loved her, Parvati had to try. She had to chase the dream. The dream that Lavender would love her.

Parvati reached up to the wall once more, and grabbed hold, slowly and painfully, she lifted herself up. She transferred all her weight onto her left leg, and slowly hobbled away, using the wall for support. She used all her strength to walk, to get to her Lavender love. 

*********

The Next Morning

*********

"Waaaaaaaaake up!"

Parvati's eyes snapped open when something smashed into her. Immediately a sharp, stinging pain shot through her. She groaned and rolled onto her side, holding her head in her hands.

A second voice joined the first, "Ginny, stop bouncing on the bed. Can't you see that she's hung over?"

The Something rolled off the bed, and the Second Voice nudged her slightly. "C'mon Parvati. You've got to get up. Breakfast is starting in fifteen minutes."

Parvati groaned again at the thought of getting out of the bed. The warm, safe bed. Bed was good. Bed was protection. "I couldn't eat if I tried," grumbled Parvati, finding her voice. It sounded raspy.

"Good, you're alive." Parvati turned her gaze to the voice. It was Hermione, slightly blurred along the edges. "You don't have to eat, just show everyone that you're alive."

At this time the Something, which Parvati gathered was Ginny, decided that she couldn't stay still any longer without questioning Parvati about her time in Hogsmead. "What do you remember about last night?" she asked eagerly.

"Ugh…too much." Parvati said as she sifted through her mind of what happened when she got back to Hogwarts. She had walked into the girl's dormitory, determined to talk to Lavender. But Lavender wasn't back yet. So Parvati had lay down on her bed and waited. She must have fallen asleep. _Good one, Patil, _Parvati thought as buried her face under her pillow. 

Hermione bit her lip. "That bad?" she reached for the pillow to pull it off of Parvati's head, but Parvati latched onto it with her own hands, as well.

Hermione was dragged into a tug of war with Parvati, the pillow as the prize. "Jeez!" cried Hermione. "Aren't hung over people supposed to be weak or something?" Ginny watched with obvious amusement. "Ginny, don't just sit there! Help me!" Ginny just grinned and leaned back. 

At that time, Parvati let go of the pillow and Hermione flew off the bed and skidded on the floor. Ginny dissolved into a fit of giggled. Parvati pulled the blanket over her head.

Hermione stood up and dusted herself off. Then she picked up the pillow and headed for the door. When she passed Ginny, who was still laughing, she hit her sharply upside the head with the pillow and stalked out the door.

**********

Parvati sat on her bed once Hermione and Ginny left, sulking and generally drowning in teenage angst. Her rough black hair was falling over her head, shielding her face from the world. I should get up, Parvati thought. I should take a shower, get cleaned up, do my homework, talk to Dean, do *something*. Parvati wiped her eyes and stood up. She needed a shower.

Parvati walked into the bathroom that was connected to the girl's dorm. Unlike that dorm, which was a familiar scarlet, the bathroom was white. The showers, the floors, the sink-- everything was white. Parvati felt like a tall blotch of dark skin and hair against the pure white. Lavender always looked beautiful though. It was true, too. Lavender's pastel pink skin and golden hair shined against the glimering white, making her look like a

goddess.

Parvati, though, preferred the dorm. She liked the dark reds, crimsons and scarletts with gold highlights occasionally on the edges of bedside tables or embroidered into the comforters. It reminded her of her home. Her parents were particularly fond of darker colors and mahogany wood furniture. 

Parvati took a long shower, forgetting her troubles, just thinking of water, soap, and shampoo. It soothed her, and she stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed. She could think clearly now, and had the sense to know that the world was not coming to an end after all. I'll just find Lavender and talk to her, she thought as she wrapped a towel around herself and walked out of the bathroom. And if she doesn't feel the same way, we can still be friends. That wouldn't be too bad.

Parvati pulled aside the curtains of her bed…and screamed.

So did Lavender.

"Ahhh!" Screamed Parvati.

"Ahhh! Screamed Lavender.

"What're you doing here??" Parvati asked frantically, her heart beating ninety miles and hour from the surprise of seeing Lavender sitting cross-legged on her bed.

"I was waiting for you!" said Lavender, also looking very surprised. "Why did you scream??"

"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting you to be here." Stated Parvati.

"I live here." Lavender pointed out.

"Yeah, well I wasn't expecting you to be on my bed."

"Oh." Said Lavender. "Yeah, that wasn't too smart of me, was it?"

"No, it wasn't." agreed Parvati, suddenly realizing that she was still only wearing her towel as she tightened it around herself self-consciously. "I'm surprised you're even talking to me, after you ran out of the restaurant last night."

Lavender blinked. "What are you talking about? I was there."

Parvati stared at her for a few seconds before answering, "I waited fifty minutes for you to get out of the 'bathroom'." 

"There was a long line!" exclaimed Lavender.

"Wait," said Parvati, confused. "You actually were in the bathroom?"

"Yeah."

"Then why did Nikki say that you left?"

Lavender looked confused. "Nikki? The waitress?"

"Uh-huh." Parvati nodded.

"You're taking a fifty million year old waitress' opinion over mine??" she asked incredulously.

Parvati pondered that for a second. What was she thinking? She immediately listened to an old lady whom she had never met, and instantly doubted her best friend. What was wrong with that picture? "You're right Lavender. I'm sorry."

"That's okay." Lavender answered, a small smile coming to her face. "I, uh… I read your poem."

"Parvati averted her eyes to the floor. The carpet was very fascinating all of a sudden.

"I liked it." Lavender continued. I especially liked the one part…'My own best friend/Sweet Lavender girl/Indeed, stole my heart/But I can't get the nerve/I don't have the guts/To tell her the golden truth.' I-I really liked that part. It does take a lot of nerve to tell someone that you like them and--"

"Are you going somewhere with this or not?" Suddenly Parvati felt incredibly tired. All of the energy that she had gained from the shower rushed out of her, now on a journey to a land far away from Parvati. "I mean," she restarted, "I just want an answer. I'm totally happy to be friends, and I'd like to be more than that. But I'd rather that you didn't patronize me. So…I'd like a straight answer, please."

Lavender looked a bit surprised, but started talking. "A straight answer…right. Well, this situation doesn't really call for a straight answer, now does it? Ha ha…" Lavender's laugh faded when she saw that Parvati wasn't joining in. "Right. Okay. Bad joke. Um…how do I say this?"

Lavender looked at the wall, the floor, the curtains, anywhere but at

Parvati. "I…I really wasn't that surprised when I read the poem."

That shocked Parvati. "You weren't?"

"Nah. You were always crap at hiding your crushes."

Parvati blushed a bit. She knew it was true.

"But," Lavender continued. "I didn't say anything, because I was one hundred percent sure, and I didn't want to ruin our friendship." Lavender took a breath and started talking once more. "But now I know I'm right, so…" Lavender licked her lips and took another breath. Then, in one swift movement, she leaned forward and captured Parvati's lips in hers.

Parvati gasped and froze in surprise. A blot of electricity went through her body. She felt Lavender's lips, warm and moist. She began to kiss her back, moving her lips against Lavender's. Parvati felt Lavender's fingers move across her face, up to tangle in her hair. Lavender ran her tongue along Parvati's lower lip, making her shiver and open her mouth. Parvati wrapped her arms around Lavender's waist and pulled her closer as Lavender's tongue entwined with hers. 

When they finally parted, Parvati said, rather breathlessly, "Wow."

Lavender grinned. "What time is it?"

Parvati blinked and glanced at her watch, which was lying on her bedside table. What she saw made her let out a sharp curse. "It's time for class! We're late!"

Lavender grimaced. "Damn!"

"I'm still in a towel!" exclaimed Parvati. "I'm gonna get changed! Wait for me," with that Parvati turned around and began to run, only to trip over her own feet. She scrambled up and flashed Lavender a smile before dashing off, the sound of Lavender's glorious, golden laugh in her ears.

**********

End

**********

"Bachelorette, you climb on rooftops and you

Bachelorette, you can turn dust into champagne

You even dream about her name

Bachelorette, the braves you pain

The pain

Oh, Bachelorette

You tried to show her that she can

But you can never rush

You must remember

You're a car girl, you're star girl

You are at the door

The tide will turn

There's a window

There's a window"

Bachelorette – Tori Amos

*********

A/n: Ta da! And there it is: the (not so) thrilling conclusion of Shades of Purple! In case you haven't noticed, I cannot write a kiss/sex scene with out _some_ sort of interruption/irony. Today in Divination Lavender & Parvati predicted that if you review, something good'll happen to you. ::hint, hint. wink, wink::


End file.
